Highway to Heaven

Morning.

- Where are you heading? - Araville.

I'm heading there.

Thank you very much.

Hold it. I said I'm headin' there. You want in you pay for it.

But you said you're going there anyway.

Nothing's free in this world, pal.

$10.

Kindness is.

What?

Kindness is free.

What world are you living in?

Damn old truck.

What is it now?

Got a problem?

No. I got my head under here to keep the sun off my bald spot.

Hey you want me to take a look?

I think I know a little more than you do about my own truck.

You sure you don't want me to take a look?

Can't hurt anything.

All right, go ahead.

Give it a try.

You have a nice day.

If in you still want that ride,

get in.

Thanks for your kindness.

- My name's Clyde. - Jonathan.

You a mechanic?

I have been.

You sure have a way with machinery.

Just a gift, I guess.

You can make a lot of money per hour with a gift like that.

Yeah, I suppose so.

Where you heading in town?

Havencrest home.

- The old folks' place? - Yeah.

Got a relative there?

Oh, no, just some old friends.

Well, I'll drop you off there.

I don't want you to go out of your way.

I said I'd drop you off, didn't I?

Thank you.

- Well, here you go. - Thanks very much.

- Hey. - Yeah.

Thanks.

For the truck.

A truck's like anything else,

treat it nice, It'll treat you nice.

I'll be seeing you again, Clyde.

All right, you'll have to notify the Deeder family.

I can't keep old man here after the end of the week

unless they've payments in my office by then.

But they said that the checks were late this month...

Ms. Gordon, I'm aware of what they said.

I'm trying to run a business. That's what I was hired for...

May I help you?

Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting.

Not at all.

I came about that job you advertised in the newspaper.

Gardening and general maintenance.

That shouldn't have been listed until tomorrow.

I know... I heard about it at the newspaper office.

I figured the early bird catches the worm.

Quite true, Mr...

Jonathan Smith. No jokes about the name.

Jokes?

Yeah. You know, John Smith, Jane Doe.

Ah, yes. I see.

We'll need some references, of course.

Yeah, that'll take me a little while to round up. I'm from back East.

You can't expect me to hire you without references.

Did your last man have references?

Of course.

Well, where's he?

What?

Where's the last man? Where's he now?

I fired him.

What for?

Because he was lazy, he wouldn't work.

Goes to show, references don't mean everything.

Mr. Smith, I don't believe this conversation's getting us anywhere.

- Our policy... - I'm willing to work the first month without any pay.

If you like my work after that I go on salary.

You're willing to work the month without pay?

That's right. If I don't do the job, just say adios.

You don't lose a thing.

All right. I'll give it a try.

Thank you, sir.

Ms. Gordon, would you show Smith where the utility room is?

Yes, sir.

Oh, Smith.

Yes, sir?

I have a full inventory of every thing in the utility room.

Every item is listed.

Got you.

Such a nice day, how come everybody's inside?

Well, they rarely go out unless a relative comes.

That's not very often for many.

Never for some.

What do they do all day?

They sit.

What about the staff?

They plan any activities for them? Outings or anything?

Mr. Haskins' policy doesn't call for that.

He feels that it's our job to provide food and lodging, not entertainment.

I'm not sure this is the right key.

How do you feel about the policy?

I only work here.

- I'll have to get another key. - Here, lemme check.

Hard to believe, 100 years ago, people didn't need locks.

Except in prison.

Times change.

No, people change.

We stopped trusting each other.

I'm sure that you'll find everything you need.

Leslie?

Yes?

Is it all right if I call you that?

Yes.

I'd to find a place to live, I was wondering if you'd any suggestions.

Well, there's some vacancies in the building where I live.

They're not fancy apartments but it's walking distance.

Sounds just fine, if I can walk over there with you after work I'd appreciate it.

All right.

All right, I'll see you then.

How did you know that my name was Leslie?

When Mr. Haskins introduced us.

I'll see you after work.

Excuse me, I'm here to check your swamp cooler.

Who are you?

Jonathan. New maintenance man.

Well, good. They finally found a cute one.

Come on in. It's over there.

Thank you.

It's not going to work. The other fellow tried.

Of course, he was dumb as a milk cow.

I'll just look.

That cooler's just about like most people here,

too old to work right.

Sometimes, the old ones are better. More dependable.

Yeah.

Get away from there!

Go on! Shoo!

You pervert! Shoo! Go on!

Shoo!

Did you see that man, he's always peeking at me?

Maybe he likes you.

Oh, go on, he can't be a day under 80.

I don't want some old man peeking at me.

Is that why you stay in your room all the time?

Well, it won't be for long, I'm not a regular here, you know.

My daughter and her husband are coming back from Europe in a few weeks

and I'm gonna live with them.

That'll be nice.

The rest of the old biddies are down the hall watching soap opera.

What's the matter? Don't you like the soaps?

I don't like when I have to watch with them.

They're all half deaf, and they shout at each other through the whole show,

"What did he say?" "What did she say?"

Meantime, nobody can hear a blasted thing.

Oh, Miss Mattie.

That's my roommate.

- Hi, Miss Mattie. - You've to shout.

She hasn't heard anything since World War I.

Miss Mattie!

Anybody die on General Hospital today?

Somebody went to the Hospital and died?

What room were they in?

No, not here.

On TV, who died?

They died on their TV?

Just fell over on it dead?

No, woman!

On the soap opera, who died on the soap opera?

Oh!

Oh, nobody.

You see what I mean?

There's nothing worse than living in a place with a lot of old folks.

I think old folks are pretty lucky.

How so?

A lot of people don't live long enough to get old.

It's been all fixed. Anymore trouble with it just let me know.

Nice to meet you, Miss Mattie.

Nice to meet you.

You heard him.

Well, of course, I heard him.

I'm not deaf.

Why do I have to shout at you all the time?

You don't have to.

I never ask you to.

You're just like everybody else.

If you get old, people just shout at you.

My daughter doesn't shout at me.

Of course not.

She doesn't even talk to you.

She's in Europe, I told you!

Well, suit yourself.

I'm going to have my lunch.

She'll be taking me out of here the minute she gets back!

She wouldn't let me stay in a place like this.